As Vicente and his group continued their journey through the Alpine Woodpecker Forest, the Mazzanti family grew with each passing day.

With the recent changes that had taken place in the family, their territory had gone from a few shops in the eastern part of Millfall to a de facto area where not only shops but houses and streets were part of their domain.

With this change, the Mazzanti family group no longer had three guards at each shop in their shops. Now, only one of their soldiers stood guard at each tavern and establishment, such as the Zander Brothers' and River's, while most staff kept an eye on the surroundings.

Anyone who caused trouble not only in the shops but on the streets or in the resistances of their territory would suffer the consequences previously suffered by the thieves or daring patrons of Zander's tavern.

With such a change, the small group of men of the Mazzanti family managed to maintain the peace and security of these establishments, even though their territory had grown far beyond the number of men working for the family in recent days.

And with the expansion into the territory of the former Defiant Tyranny faction, the group was experiencing its finest moment in Millfall!

...

"Thank you for your understanding, Your Grace. Your support is critical to us." One of the Acolytes left in the city by Vicente said as he greeted Shelby's father in the Baron's office.

Seeing the bag of gold coins in front of him, Baron Staples smiled, seeing that the recent changes in the city had not affected his operations as he had feared.

"Haha, there's no need to thank me. Your family and Cesar are wonderful. I've always wanted to do business with you." The Baron said as he led the masked and well-dressed man out of his residence, envisioning a great future with the Mazzanti family.

The Mazzanti family was very efficient, working with low costs, and they were willing to give up more of their profits to please their supporters!

Defiant Tyranny, for example, gave only 50% of its profits to the families that supported it. But the Mazzanti family was delivering 70% of their profits, which was impressive to these noble families of Millfall, who wanted coins more than anything else.

Even though they had sided against Cesar a few weeks ago, practically none of the nobles in town remembered Ryker and saw Cesar as their new great friend.

Vicente's soldier smiled under his mask.

They gave a large part of their profits to these nobles, but it was for the good of their own group.

They weren't unaware of the trouble they could get into when the Viscount returned to the city from his journey. So they bought the support of the local noble families while Viscount Symons was away.

'Today, we seem to be working for you, nobles, but it won't always be like this...' That soldier thought to himself, imagining the dependence they were creating on these nobles.

Vicente was no fool. As long as he was weak, he would give these powers enough to make them happy and protect his people in the light of day. But that wouldn't always be the case!

"I hope to see Your Grace again soon with better results." The Mazzanti soldier said just as they arrived at the door of the Staples residence, where Shelby was just passing next to a red-haired servant.

"Good morning, my noble father." The woman with orange hair, the same color as the middle-aged man next to the masked soldier, said as she made way for them and bowed her head.

As a daughter, Shelby was just a tool for the Staples family to gain alliances and heirs. She had to bow to her father, her stepmothers, and the family heir and walk the line.

As an intelligent woman, she didn't challenge the most influential people in her family and was quite capable of bowing to them, though she was honest about her disagreements.

Baron Staples looked at his daughter and said. "Shelby, this is an emissary from Cesar Mazzanti, a family friend."

Hearing her father introduce one of the Vice's men, Shelby did what she was supposed to: greeted the soldier and showed that House Staples treated its friends well.

"Nice to meet you. Your party is very prominent. I'm sure you'll become one of the biggest influences in our town in no time." She said with a smile, something her father couldn't understand.

"The young lady is exaggerating. We're just acting where no one else is. We don't have such big ambitions. The Scarlet Syndicate is definitely the name of the game." The soldier said, catching the Baron's attention.

"I think you should be more bold, Pyke. The Defiant Tyranny has left a lot of business that the Scarlet Syndicate can't handle alone." The Baron said, wanting Cesar's group to be bolder and grow more in this city.

Between the Mazzanti family, who were willing to distribute more coins to their supporters, and the Scarlet Syndicate, who were already stable in the city's underworld, he preferred Cesar's house. That was the faction that could pay him the most!

Shelby looked at Pyke, an alias Vice's soldiers used in public, and said. "I know you have to be careful where you expand your activities, but the Scarlet Syndicate alone won't be able to take over everything Defiant Tyranny has left.

Your group should take care of two things left by Defiant Tyranny. The casino and the brothel that faction ran."

"Oh?" Baron Staples looked at his daughter and narrowed his eyes, seeing that this woman knew more about Millfall's current situation than he had imagined.

'If you were a man, Shelby, you would be my heir...' He sighed in disappointment that a woman was the most intelligent of his children.

Then he said. "You should look into this. The Scarlet Syndicate is focused on taking over the resources and human trafficking that Defiant Tyranny led in our city. The group's casinos and brothels are definitely not being targeted by them right now."

"We will work on it, Your Grace." 'Pyke' replied, aware that his leaders would see no problem in engaging in such activities.

After all, Rory was the son of a bitch who currently run a brothel in Martell Village!

Hell, them controlling gambling and prostitution in the city was the natural progression of things!

With that, he returned to his morning destination of delivering the coins of the noble families that supported the Mazzanti family.

Shelby and her father stayed behind to watch the man leave in one of the Mazzanti family carriages.

He said quietly to her. "Don't get involved in these things, Shelby. You should concentrate on becoming a good wife to young master Symons."

"That doesn't stop me from studying the local reality, Father."

"Does it? I'm not sure. If you can do that while being a good wife to young master Symons, why don't you go to him and please him a little? I don't want to turn the Symons family against the Mazzanti family." He looked at her, indicating what she should do.

Shelby clenched her fists in anger but controlled herself to not show her father everything she had in mind.

She smiled graciously at him as if there was nothing wrong with what he was suggesting.

'Do you understand what I have to deal with, Vicente? My own father sees me as a breeding mare!

Do you blame me for the way I acted towards you? Can you understand my desperation?'

She left, imagining her ally and his importance to her life.